Sue stood with a decided sag in her spine and her eyes bloodshot and heavy lidded. Sam thrust out a hand and felt of her nose. “Hot as fire,” said he, in dolorous tones.
“If you could only get a look at her tongue, Sam, to see if it is coated,” suggested Mrs. James.
“I never tried that afore and I ain’t sure how a cow likes it, but I s’pose some one’s got to do it, so that some one looks like me,” was Sam’s resigned reply.
Sam tried to sidle in the stall to reach the cow’s mouth, but Sue suddenly moved and pressed against him so that he was flattened between her sides and the side of the partition. He could only kick, but kick he did until the cow moved away again.
“I thought I was done for, dat time, sure!” gasped Sam.
“Don’t give up yet, Sam. Try to hold her mouth until she shows her tongue. I will throw the flashlight on it to see if it is furred or clear,” advised Mrs. James, leaning far over.
Sam made a sudden grab for Sue’s head, but the cow was not in a humor to be tampered with, so she lowered her head and ran her forehead against Sam. Unfortunately she chose the pit of his stomach for her target so that Sam could not howl, but he threw up both hands pitifully for help. Sue then backed and stood diagonally across the entrance to the stall so that it was impossible for Sam to escape without coming in contact with her, and that he refused to even consider.
It was Janet’s bright idea to get the short ladder and lift it over the partition so Sam could climb out that way.
“Sue kin die for all I tries to see her tongue again!” declared Sam, emphatically, after he was on the safe side of the partition once more. He rubbed the tender spot of his stomach as he finished speaking and gazed reproachfully at Mrs. James.
“If Frances will drive, I’ll go and get Mr. Ames at once,” said Mrs. James, “the cow may die if we postpone help too long.”